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ICON CLASS UPDATE


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Several months ago the WH passed law that made LNG shipments by rail possible in the US without major work on existing rail systems.  That puts LNG available to a lot of different ports, at least potentially. 

The focus was a contested piece of rail in the North East.  The goal was to make some North East shipping ports into LNG ports so they could sell LNG on the international market and ship it by tanker from the North East.  

For our purposes that makes the North East on the radar screen as an LNG cruise port but the law as passed could allow LNG shipments to any US city or cruise port by rail.  Canaveral had been planning to bring it on barges that would refuel ships.  

Carnival has long had its first LNG ships splitting time between Canaveral and NYC.   

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Carnival's Mardi Gras just started her engines for the first time a few weeks ago.  She is a multi-fuel ship.  She can run on LNG but she can also run on the existing bunker used to fuel cruise ships now.  It's not clear if Icon will have similar fuel options.  Icon is touted as LNG and fuel cell but will she also be able to resort to bunker if required?  Time will tell.  

 

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1 hour ago, cruisellama said:

Interesting to see where the first one will port with the unique fuel requirements.   Maybe Galveston.

I think maybe Canaveral at first in the USA as it will have the most experience with LNG refueling of cruise vessels but also Miami could be used as one as Carnival is putting there second XL class ship there. So I assume the port will now be able to handle this type of vessel. But my guess is one day Port Miami will get one of these vessels as this will be near the size of the Oasis class.  Here is a video that proves this is the one of the largest ships that are going to be sailing soon. 

 

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While I definitely think the Icon class ships won’t be cancelled, I could see them being delayed depending on how long the absence of cruising lasts on Royal’s financial situation. Like many have said, it could take a while for the cruise industry to recover. But eventually these will be built because of the environmental benefits. LNG is the future of cruise ships until they figure out how to make them totally electric. 

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4 hours ago, twangster said:

For our purposes that makes the North East on the radar screen as an LNG cruise port but the law as passed could allow LNG shipments to any US city or cruise port by rail.

Being 90 minutes from Bayonne, I hope you're right! I'll fly wherever though, wife and I decided it's time for a "new ship smell" with Icon. We sailed Oasis January of 2010 and loved being on the 7th or so sailing. Closet we have been since was Anthem September of 2016, so she was ~17 months old.

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9 minutes ago, mattymay said:

If you follow other websites, you'll see that blocks from the hull are already being delivered to Meyer Turku. 

Yup that means we are very close to the build to start some time next year maybe after some of the ships that they are working on now at Meyer Turku move into the final parts of there build. 

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  • 3 months later...
  • 4 months later...

Here is the latest update from @Matt on Project Icon.  With the blocks for the ship slowly arriving at the shipyard in Finland we should see major work start to take place later this summer and maybe an official update/name of the ship when the keel-laying takes place.

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2021/05/25/blocks-arrive-shipyard-royal-caribbeans-first-icon-class-cruise-ship

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12 minutes ago, Jaymac Radio said:

maybe an official update/name of the ship when the keel-laying takes place

First guess at the name: Icon of the Seas (apart from Vision class, isn't the first ship in each series the one that has the series name?)

Second guess: Boaty McBoatface of the Seas ?

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  • 3 weeks later...
48 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Yes!!!  As long as the inaugural is in the fall of 2023.  If not, I cannot go.  You know, students need to be taught and all that. lol

Hey, if there's one thing students learned this past year it's how to do school remotely. It'll just be reversed; you'll be remote on the cruise ship, and the kids will be stuck sitting in the classroom.

Think about the teaching possibilities as you show them islands and talk about volcanic activity and erosion, or how isolated ecosystems like those lead to unique and varied wildlife. Get creative, I'm sure the school board will totally approve the remote teaching opportunities.

?

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8 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

Hey, if there's one thing students learned this past year it's how to do school remotely. It'll just be reversed; you'll be remote on the cruise ship, and the kids will be stuck sitting in the classroom.

If we are still doing remote learning for 13 year olds by 2023, then something is seriously wrong.

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25 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

Think about the teaching possibilities as you show them islands and talk about volcanic activity and erosion, or how isolated ecosystems like those lead to unique and varied wildlife. Get creative, I'm sure the school board will totally approve the remote teaching opportunities.

Let's not forget about the chemistry lessons of drink mixology. 

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10 hours ago, StayFrosty said:

What do you think it’s lineage will be:

  1. Evolution of the Oasis Class
  2. Evolution of the Quantum Class
  3. Clean sheet design
  4. Or something else?

 

My realistic vote is an evolution of the Quantum Class.  My wish is for a clean sheet design!

I’d like a clean sheet design too.  I do hope she has a Central Park kind of thing though. That’s just spectacular and I miss it on every non oasis class I go on. 

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16 hours ago, StayFrosty said:

My wish is for a clean sheet design!

 

6 hours ago, Jill said:

I’d like a clean sheet design too.  I do hope she has a Central Park kind of thing though. That’s just spectacular and I miss it on every non oasis class I go on. 

Yes! I really enjoyed the innovation and changes in both Oasis & Quantum class ships but still keeping the feel of a Royal Caribbean signature ship. I have faith Icon will not disappoint continuing that trend. I've already warned the wife, I need a new ship (& class) smell, so Q3/Q4 2023 we are cruising LOL.

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48 minutes ago, sk8erguy1978 said:

 

Yes! I really enjoyed the innovation and changes in both Oasis & Quantum class ships but still keeping the feel of a Royal Caribbean signature ship. I have faith Icon will not disappoint continuing that trend. I've already warned the wife, I need a new ship (& class) smell, so Q3/Q4 2023 we are cruising LOL.

Yep us too! I’m assuming she’ll be out of Canaveral unless Miami gets it’s LNG by then. 
 

PC would be awesome as I’m 2 hours from there. We’ve got 3 booked through October 2022. Not sure I can wait a year after that for Icon, so may have to jump on a 4 night Bahamas to hold me over. 

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8 hours ago, Jill said:

Yep us too! I’m assuming she’ll be out of Canaveral unless Miami gets it’s LNG by then. 
 

PC would be awesome as I’m 2 hours from there. We’ve got 3 booked through October 2022. Not sure I can wait a year after that for Icon, so may have to jump on a 4 night Bahamas to hold me over. 

Flying from NY so any FL port is fine by me! 

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